It seems like just yesterday that you were lounging next to Lake Michigan, enjoying the warm weather, when suddenly you’re wearing boots every day and Christmas is right around the corner.\u00a0 If you still have gifts to buy, why not share your love of books with family and friends?\u00a0 From the faculty and staff at Loyola University Libraries, here are some books we think would make terrific holiday gifts.<\/p>\n
American Farmer: The Heart of Our Country<\/strong><\/a> Assassination Vacation<\/strong><\/a> The Book Thief<\/strong><\/a> The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao<\/strong><\/a> The Chicagoan:\u00a0 A Lost Magazine of the Jazz Age <\/strong><\/a> China Road: The Journey into a Future of a Rising Power<\/a> <\/strong> East of Eden<\/strong><\/a> Holidays on Ice<\/strong><\/a> The Perks of Being a Wallflower<\/a><\/strong> The Post-American World<\/strong><\/a> The Macrophenomenal Pro Basketball Almanac: Styles, Stats, and Stars in Today’s Game <\/strong><\/a> Making Comics: Storytelling Secrets of Comics, Manga and Graphic Novels<\/strong><\/a> Miss Alcott’s Email: Yours For Reforms of All Kinds <\/strong><\/a> My Vocabulary Did This to Me<\/strong><\/a> The Sixteen Pleasures<\/strong><\/a>
\nBy Katrina Fried and Paul Mobley
\nAmerican Farmer is a richly layered mosaic of brilliant visuals and honest text that honors the farmers and ranchers across America. Mobley’s keen vision of the American farmer, and his ability to capture the spirit which each farmer embodies, will impress readers<\/em>.
\nSubmitted by: Susan Wardzala, Reference Librarian<\/p>\n
\nBy Sarah Vowell
\nSarah Vowell takes us on a road trip like no other – a journey to the pit stops of American political murder and through the myriad ways they have been used for fun and profit, for political and cultural advantage. Vowell visits locations immortalized and influenced by the spilling of politically important blood, reporting as she goes with her trademark blend of wisecracking humor, remarkable honesty, and thought-provoking criticism.<\/em>
\nSubmitted by: Kimberly Medema, Monograph Cataloging Assistant<\/p>\n
\nBy Markus Zusak
\nDeath, a sardonic and articulate character who is afraid of humans, narrates this WWII coming-of-age story about faith, love, hope amidst tragedy. <\/em>
\nSubmitted by: Kristina Schwoebel, Reference Librarian<\/p>\n
\nBy Junot Diaz
\nAuthor Junot Diaz immerses us in the tumultuous life of Oscar and the history of the family at large, rendering with genuine warmth and dazzling energy, humor, and insight the Dominican-American experience, and, ultimately, the endless human capacity to persevere in the face of heartbreak and loss.<\/em>
\nSubmitted by: Brigette Anthony, Monograph Acquisitions Assistant<\/p>\n
\nBy Neil Harris
\nRecalling a vivid moment in the life of the Second City, the Chicagoan is a forgotten treasure, offered here for a whole new age to enjoy.<\/em>
\nSubmitted by: Jeannette Pierce, Head of Cudahy Reference<\/p>\n
\nBy Rob Gifford
\nRoute 312 is the Chinese Route 66. It flows three thousand miles from east to west, passing through the factory towns of the coastal areas, through the rural heart of China, then up into the Gobi Desert, where it merges with the Old Silk Road. The highway witnesses every part of the social and economic revolution that is turning China upside down.<\/em>
\nSubmitted by: Robert Seal, Dean of Libraries<\/p>\n
\nBy John Steinbeck
\nEast of Eden is an epic tale of good vs. evil with many biblical references and parallels. The story is ultimately that of good’s triumph over evil and the human will’s ability to make that happen.<\/em>
\nSubmitted by: Katherine Dunn, Serials Acquisitions Assistant<\/p>\n
\nBy David Sedaris
\nHolidays on Ice is a collection of three previously published stories matched with three newer ones, all, of course, on a Christmas theme.<\/em>
\nSubmitted by: Martha Spring, Head of Serials and Electronic Resources<\/p>\n
\nBy Stephen Chbosky
\nWhat is most notable about this funny, touching, memorable first novel from Stephen Chbosky is the resounding accuracy with which the author captures the voice of a boy teetering on the brink of adulthood.<\/em>
\nSubmitted by: Anna Gentry, Intercampus Loan Assistant<\/p>\n
\nBy Fareed Zakaria
\nOne of our most distinguished thinkers argues that the “rise of the rest” is the great story of our time.<\/em>
\nSubmitted by: Cathy Miesse, Assistant Dean for Technical Services and Outreach<\/p>\n
\nBy FreeDarko
\nThe indispensible, amazingly illustrated companion to today’s NBA\u2014a roundball Rosetta Stone that hilariously decodes the trends and tendencies of pro basketball.<\/em>
\nSubmitted by: Niamh McGuigan, Reference Librarian<\/p>\n
\nBy Scott McCloud
\nDesigned as a craftsperson’s overview of the drawing and storytelling decisions and possibilities available to comics artists, covering everything from facial expressions and page layout to the choice of tools and story construction.<\/em>
\nSubmitted by: David Schmidt, Recall\/Search Assistant<\/p>\n
\nBy Kit Bakke
\nTired of self-proclaimed gurus and self-help books, Kit Bakke turns to her childhood role model — Louisa May Alcott — for direction. She sends an e-mail to Louisa, and is amazed when she receives a reply. Their correspondence becomes a dance of ideas and tales bridging the mid-1800s and the twenty-first century. <\/em>
\nSubmitted by: Jane Currie, Reference Librarian<\/p>\n
\nBy Jack Spicer
\nDuring his short but prolific life, Spicer troubled the concepts of translation, voice, and the act of poetic composition itself. My Vocabulary Did This to Me is a landmark publication of this essential poet\u2019s life work, and includes poems that have become increasingly hard to find and many published here for the first time.<\/em>
\nSubmitted by: Steve Pump, Serials Acquisitions Coordinator<\/p>\n
\nby Robert HellengaA young American book conservator’s discovery, while in Florence, of a volume of 16 sensual drawings with equally erotic sonnets leads her to a romantic encounter.<\/em>
\nSubmitted by: Tracy Ruppman, Reference Librarian<\/p>\n